Thread protector for button fastening threads



Sept. 28, 1954 L E 2,689,993

'TX-IREAD PROTECTOR FOR BUTTON FASTENIWNG THREADS Filed April 7, 1952 I INVENTOR FRITHJOF LEHRE BYZ/MM ATTORNEY 6 Patented Sept. 28, 1954 UNITE s wire THREAD PROTEGTOR FOE BUTTON FASTENING THREADS 2 Claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my application, Serial No. 161,504, filed May 12, 1950.

This invention relates to thread protectors for threads fastening buttons to an article of clothmg.

Fastener threads for buttons are subjected to substantial wear by friction and rubbing of button holes against the fastener threads between. the button and the material to which the button is fastened.

Due to this wear, the fastening threads become worn or pulled and the button thereupon becomes loose or is completely disconnected from the material and many times is lost. It is diflicult in many instances to replace such a lost button by matching a single replacement button with the remainder of the button set and necessitates a complete new set of buttons which is expensive and annoying.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which prevents the wearing and destroying of the fastening threads and which is designed to be placed between the button and the fabric and which device will surround the fastening threads.

Another object of this invention is to provide a thread protecting device of elastic material having outstanding characteristics to prevent sliding movement between a button and the device and thereby a more secure and firm relationship of parts.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed discussion of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a sectional view through a button and fabric to which fastened, including the fastening threads and thread protector and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the protector.

In Figure'l, a button It is shown attached to fabric or the like H by means of fastening threads l2 which pass through the usual thread holes or openings l3 in the button and also pass through the fabric II in the normal manner. Heretofore, the threads l2 have been wrapped with additional threads between the button and the fabric to space the button from the fabric to facilitate insertion of the button in a buttonhole and also in an attempt to provide a firmer and more secure fastening of the button. This has not proved entirely satisfactory.

In order to overcome the drawbacks of the prior accepted practice, the present invention 2 substitutes for the thread wrapping, a thread protector generally designated I4 which is interposed between the button IE! and the fabric I i and which surrounds the fastening threads 12 as seen in Figure 1.

The thread protector of the present invention consists in a tube or neck portion, the inner and outer surfaces [5 and it, respectively, having the form of hyperbolic surfaces of rotation. The lower end of the protector adapted for contact with the fabric'has a radially extending flange H to provide adequate contact with the fabric over an extended substantially flat surface. The upper end of the protector has an axial extension l8 which in effect provides a cup-shaped cavity or recess l9 between the main body of the protector and the button. The axial end surface of the flange contacts the underside of the button as shown at 2B.

The protector is preferably constructed of resilient material such as rubber, plastic and the like. The combination of the resiliency of the protector in conjunction with the depression I9 provides a secure contact between the button and the protector to minimize sliding of the button with respect to the protector and encompasses a substantial area of the button. Due to the increased friction between the protector and fabric material, the flange I! need not be formed in a manner similar to the contact between the button and the protector.

The fastening threads l2 pass through the opening of the protector and due to the shape of the inner. surface [5 minimize wear on the fastening threads. The shape of the surface It facilitates insertion in a buttonhole with a minimum of play and provides a firm relationship of parts in the buttonhole.

One of the outstanding features of the protector by which the highly improved results are obtained is that the ends of the tube or neck are radially extending to form the ring-shaped flanges ii and. I8 and the differential between the breadth of the flanges due to the difference in frictional characteristics of the members to be contacted thereby.

It will be readily apparent that minor modifications can be effected in the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A thread protector for the threads fastening a button to an article consisting of a separate unitary sheath, said sheath comprising a tube portion with a body having hyperbolic surfaces of rotation, said sheath enclosing the fastening threads between the button and the article, the axial ends of said tube portion being radially extended to form ring-shaped flanges for contacting the outer exterior surface of said article and the inner exterior surface of said button, and an axial extension provided on the peripheral edge of the button engaging flange forming between the axial end surface thereof and the main body of said sheath a cup-shaped depression, said axial end surface being contactable with the button and said axial extension and cup-shaped depression minimizing relative movement between the button and the protector.

2. A thread protector as claimed in claim 1 15 wherein the protector is formed of resilient material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 220,101 Wheeler Sept. 30, 1879 311,758 Hirshfield Feb. 3, 1885 1,316,012 Barron Sept. 16, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,888 Great Britain of 1903 

